UJoshuwa 22:10-34

Sebefike emikhawulweni yaseJordani esezweni laseKhanani, abantwana bakwaRubeni nabantwana bakwaGadi nengxenye yesizwe sakwaManase bakha khona i-altare ngaseJordani, i-altare elikhulu ukuba libukeke. Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bezwa kuthiwa: “Bheka, abantwana bakwaRubeni nabantwana bakwaGadi nengxenye yesizwe sakwaManase sebakhile i-altare phambi kwezwe laseKhanani emngceleni weJordani endleleni yabantwana bakwa-Israyeli. Israyeli. Kwathi abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bekuzwa lokho, yonke inhlangano yabantwana bakwa-Israyeli yabuthana eShilo ukubahambela. Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bathumela kubantwana bakwaRubeni nakubantwana bakwaGadi nasengxenyeni yesizwe sakwaManase ezweni lakwaGileyadi uFinehasi indodana ka-Eleyazare umpristi; kanye naye izikhulu eziyishumi, isikhulu kuzo zonke izindlu zezikhulu, kube yisikhulu ezizweni zonke zakwa-Israyeli; bonke babeyizinhloko zezindlu zoyise phakathi kwezinkulungwane zakwa-Israyeli. Bafika kubantwana bakwaRubeni nakubantwana bakwaGadi nasenxenyeni yesizwe sakwaManase ezweni lakwaGileyadi, bakhuluma kubo, bathi: Isho kanje yonke inhlangano kaJehova, ithi: ‘Yisiphi isiphambeko esinenzile kuNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli ukuba nisuke kuJehova namuhla ngokuzakhela i-altare ukuba nihlubuke uJehova namuhla na? Isiphambeko sasePheyori sincane yini kithi esingakahlanjululwa kuso kuze kube namuhla, nakuba kwakukhona isifo ebandleni likaJehova? Kodwa lizaphambuka lamuhla ekulandeleni uJehova? futhi njengoba nihlubuka uJehova namuhla, kusasa uyothukuthelela yonke inhlangano yakwa-Israyeli. Kodwa uma izwe lefa lenu lingcolile, dlulelani niye ezweni lefa likaJehova, lapho itabernakele likaJehova lihlala kulo, nidle ifa phakathi kwethu; kepha ungahlubuki kuJehova, ungasihlubuki, wazakhele i-altare ngase-altare likaJehova uNkulunkulu wethu. U-Akani, indodana kaSeraki, akenzanga yini isiphambeko sabaxhwalekileyo, futhi ulaka lwehlela lonke ibandla lika-Israyeli na? futhi lowo muntu akabhubhanga ngobubi bakhe yedwa. Abantwana bakwaRubeni nabantwana bakwaGadi nenxenye yesizwe sakwaManase baphendula, bathi ezinhloko zezinkulungwane zakwa-Israyeli: UJehova, uNkulunkulu wawonkulunkulu, uJehova, uNkulunkulu wawonkulunkulu, nguyena owaziyo, nowamazi u-Israyeli; uma kungukuhlubuka noma ukweqa uJehova (ungasikhululi namuhla). Ukuthi sizakhele i-altare lokuchezuka kuJehova, nokuba sinikele phezu kwalo umnikelo wokushiswa noma umnikelo wempuphu, nokuba sinikele phezu kwalo iminikelo yokubonga, makayifune uJehova ngokwakhe; Futhi uma besingakwenzanga esikhundleni ngenxa yokwesaba le ndaba, ngokuthi: Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi abantwana benu bazokwazi ukukhuluma nabantwana bethu bathi: ‘Ninamsebenzi muni noJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli? Ngokuba uJehova wenze iJordani laba umkhawulo phakathi kwethu nani bantwana bakwaRubeni nabantwana bakwaGadi. Awunasabelo kuJehova; ngakho abantwana benu bazakwenza ukuthi abantwana bethu bayeke ukumesaba uJehova. Ngakho sathi: Ake sizilungisele khathesi ukuze asakhele i-altare, kungelona elomnikelo wokushiswa noma eleminikelo. Kodwa ukuze kube ngubufakazi phakathi kwethu lani lezizukulwaneni zethu ngemva kwethu, ukuze sifeze inkonzo kaJehova phambi kobuso bakhe ngeminikelo yethu yokutshiswa lemihlatshelo yethu langeminikelo yethu yokubonga; ukuze abantwana benu bangasho ngesikhathi kubantwana bethu ukuthi: Aninasabelo kuJehova. Kungakho sithe kuyakuthi uma besho lokhu kithi noma ezizukulwaneni zethu esikhathini esizayo, siphinde sithi: Bhekani i-altare likaJehova abalenza obaba, kungeyona eleminikelo yokushiswa; futhi hhayi okomhlatshelo; kodwa liwufakazi phakathi kwethu nani. Kwangathi uNkulunkulu angasivimbela ekuhlubukeni kuJehova nasekuphambukeni kuJehova namuhla, sakhe i-altare leminikelo yokushiswa, iminikelo yomlilo noma iminikelo yokushiswa, e-altare likaJehova uNkulunkulu wethu eliphambi kwetabernakele lakhe. Kwathi uFinehasi umpristi nezinduna zenhlangano nezinhloko zezinkulungwane zakwa-Israyeli ezazinaye bezwa amazwi abantwana bakwaRubeni nabantwana bakwaGadi nabantwana bakwaManase ababewakhulumile, kwaba kuhle emehlweni abo. UFinehasi indodana ka-Eleyazare umpristi wathi kubantwana bakwaRubeni nakubantwana bakwaGadi nakubantwana bakwaManase: “Namuhla siyabona ukuthi uJehova uphakathi kwethu, ngoba anibenzanga lesi sono kuJehova. Manje senibakhululile abantwana bakwa-Israyeli esandleni sikaJehova. UFinehasi, indodana ka-Eleyazare, umpristi, nezikhulu babuya kubantwana bakwaRubeni nakubantwana bakwaGadi ezweni lakwaGileyadi, baya ezweni laseKhanani kubantwana bakwa-Israyeli, babavumela ukuba babavumele yazi futhi. Le ndaba yaba kuhle kubantwana bakwa-Israyeli; abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bamdumisa uNkulunkulu, babengahlosile ukukhuphukela kubo empini, bachithe izwe abantwana bakwaRubeni noGadi ababehlala kulo. Abantwana bakwaRubeni nabantwana bakwaGadi balibiza i-altare ngokuthi i-Edi, ngokuba liyakuba ngubufakazi phakathi kwethu bokuthi uJehova unguNkulunkulu.